In combat soldiers, a condition known as the traumatic wet lung syndrome during World War II was described. This was observed in soldiers who had sustained varying degrees of thoracic trauma, ranging from simple pulmonary contusion to severe penetrating chest wounds. As Burford et al stated in a report at that time concerning the thoracic injuries that they had seen and treated 'two fundamental physiopathologic phenomena have been observed: (1) That in all wounds of the chest to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon the type and severity of the lesion, the lung tissue reacts to produce more than its normal amount of interstitial and intra-alveolar fluid. (2) That in all wounds of the chest, the bronchopulmonary tree not only has more fluid to rid itself of, but becomes less capable of doing so.'

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